The present invention generally relates to information processing apparatuses, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus having a portable shape.
Information processing apparatuses typified by lap-top computers and portable word processors have become more affordable and popular in recent years. With respect to such portable information processing apparatuses, there are demands to improve their portability so that the user can easily carry the information processing apparatus in a bag or the like. To meet such demands, various proposals have been made to reduce the overall size, thickness and weight of the portable information processing apparatus.
As conventional methods of reducing the overall size, thickness and weight of the portable information processing apparatus, there are a method which reduces the thickness and weight by employing a liquid crystal display, a method which reduces the overall size and weight by employing electronic parts having a low power consumption, a method which reduces the overall size and thickness by minimizing clearances between internal units of the portable information processing apparatus, a method which reduces the thickness and weight by employing a resin casing or cover having a reduced basic thickness, and the like.
However, at the present, a considerable progress in the above described methods cannot be expected for the following reasons.
First, the overall size and thickness of parts forming the portable information processing apparatus have already been reduced to nearly the technical limit, and a new technique which would enable further reduction in the overall size and thickness of the parts is unlikely to be developed in the near future.
Second, even if a technique is developed to further reduce the overall size and thickness of the parts forming the portable information processing apparatus, the portable information processing apparatus would only become more difficult for the user to operate if the overall size and thickness of the portable information processing apparatus are further reduced considerably. For example, an excessively reduced keyboard would only make it more difficult for the user to operate keys of the keyboard, and an excessively reduced display would only make it more difficult for the user to see displayed information on the display.
Third, if the basic thickness of the resin casing or cover is further reduced in order to further reduce the thickness of the portable information processing apparatus, the strength and rigidity of the casing or cover deteriorate. As a result, the casing or cover with the further reduced thickness would easily break, thereby deteriorating the reliability of the portable information processing apparatus. In the case of the portable information processing apparatus, the chances of the portable information processing apparatus receiving an external shock is not small since the portable information processing apparatus is often carried by the user, and for this reason, it is desirable that the casing or cover has certain strength and rigidity so that the portable information processing apparatus will uneasily be damaged by external shock.
FIG. 1 is a front view generally showing an example of a conventional information processing apparatus set up on a base. In FIG. 1, an information processing apparatus 41 is set up on a base 42 such as a desk. The information processing apparatus 41 has a generally flat parallelepiped shape. When the user wishes to carry the information processing apparatus 41 in a bag or the like, the user may have difficulty accommodating the information processing apparatus 41 in the bag by one hand particularly when documents or the like are already accommodated within the bag.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view for explaining accommodation of the information processing apparatus 41 into a bag 44 which already accommodates documents 43. In the case shown in FIG. 2, the side surface of the information processing apparatus 41 will hit the documents 43 within the bag 44 if an attempt is made to accommodate the information processing apparatus 41 in the bag 44. More particularly, since a corner portion 45 where the side and bottom surfaces of the information processing apparatus 41 meet and a corner portion 46 where the side and top surfaces of the information processing apparatus 41 meet are sharp, these corner portions 45 and 46 will hit the documents 43 when the user tries to put the information processing apparatus 41 into the bag 44. For this reason, the user must first move the documents 43 or the like already accommodated within the bag 44 so as to form a space which would enable accommodation of the information processing apparatus 41 within the bag 44, before actually inserting the information processing apparatus 41 into the bag 44. However, it is extremely difficult for the user to move the documents 43 or the like within the bag 44 and to then insert the information processing apparatus 41 into the bag 44 using only one hand.
On the other hand, when the user wishes to lift the information processing apparatus 41 which is set up on the base 42 as shown in FIG. 1, the user must insert his fingers between the base 42 and the information processing apparatus 41. However, since the side and bottom surfaces of the information processing apparatus 41 are flat and right angles to each other, there is no space between the information processing apparatus 41 and the base 42 for receiving the user's finger tips, and it is extremely difficult for the user to lift the information processing apparatus 41 from the base 42, particularly when using only one hand.